


Gertrude

by reeby10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Auror Draco Malfoy, Getting Together, Herbologist Neville Longbottom, I sure don't know!, M/M, Mystery, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, do aurors work basically like police?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: Some plants are practically children. Some childhood enemies could turn into something much better.Or, on Draco's first solo case as an auror, he ends up having to work with Neville on the case of a very rare missing plant and develops some surprising feelings
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43
Collections: Fandom 5K 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LamiaCalls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiaCalls/gifts).



Draco was sitting at his desk, doodling aimlessly on a stray bit of parchment, when a memo zipped through the air and dropped in front of him. It was folded into the shape of a hummingbird, the edge of the parchment that he could see dyed bright red. That meant an urgent message from the current head of the aurors, Loriette Fandragon. He’d never gotten one himself before.

He unfolded the parchment quickly, eyes scanning the message. His mouth dropped open a little in surprise as he read to the bottom. He was being given a case — a _solo_ case. That hadn’t happened before either.

There were only a few details on the case in the memo, the rest he’d have to find out when he got to the crime scene to interview the witnesses. It was a burglary, it seemed. A plant missing from the home of a muggleborn couple just outside of London. Which didn’t seem to be a major case to him, but that was why it had been given to him instead of one of the senior aurors, he supposed.

Draco grabbed his cloak and headed out of the office and for the nearest disapparation area at the Ministry. Just a few minutes later, he was outside of London, not far from the address in the memo.

He used the walk to review what little information he had about this case. Usually he was working with at least one senior agent, just doing whatever they told him to do during the investigation. This time, though, it was up to him. He wanted it to go as smoothly as possible.

The sound of the doorbell echoing inside the house had barely begun when a man wrenched the door open. The man’s eyes were red rimmed, a little wild looking, but otherwise he looked like any other plain, dark robed wizard Draco might pass at the Ministry.

“Mr. Marsham?” Draco asked, putting a hand out. “I’m Auror Malfoy, here about the plant you reported missing.”

“Yes, yes, thank you so very much, Auror Malfoy,” Mr. Marsham answered. He gripped Draco’s hand a little too tightly in his somewhat clammy grip, not like he was trying to prove something but more like he desperately needed to hold onto something or he’d fall apart. “Please, come in.”

Draco followed Mr. Marsham inside and over to a well decorated sitting room. There was a woman sitting on one of the chairs already. Draco assumed it was Mrs. Marsham. She looked far more elegant than her husband, her subtly patterned teal robes a far higher quality. Where Mr. Marsham looked upset at the current circumstances, she had the pinched look of someone who was highly annoyed by everything going on around her. Draco knew that look well from his mother.

“My wife, Cleo,” Mr. Marsham said, gesturing to her just a bit distractedly as they both took seats. “Cleo, this is Auror Malfoy. He’s going to find out who kidnapped Gertrude.”

Draco frowned, wondering uncomfortably if this whole thing was going to turn out to be something different than had been reported. “Gertrude?”

“That plant of his,” Mrs. Marsham said tartly. The corners of her mouth turned down for a moment before she made a conscious effort to return to a more neutral expression. “It’s practically his child.”

That was… interesting. And certainly explained how visibly distressed Mr. Marsham looked. His wife, obviously, did not have the same sentiment toward the plant. That could make this much easier or much more difficult.

“I wish you would stop being so cruel about her, Cleo,” Mr. Marsham said, looking like he might start crying. “You know how much she means to me and this is so very difficult. I need your support.”

“Of course, dear.”

Draco was starting to feel very uncomfortable getting in the middle of whatever was going on with this couple. But, that was the job. He’d been in uncomfortable situations before as an auror and certainly would be again. He just had to hope these two didn’t start throwing spells because then he really would need some backup.

He cleared his throat and both of the Marsham’s jerked around to look at him. They looked a bit surprised, like they’d forgotten he was even there, before embarrassment took over. At least for Mr. Marsham. Mrs. Marsham just continued to look annoyed.

“Could you tell me more about this plant and how you discovered it was missing?” he asked as evenly as he could.

“Oh, yes, of course!” Mr. Marsham replied, nodding fervently.

It turned out that the plant — Gertrude, as Mr. Marsham kept saying — was a small flowering bush called viridi pretiosa. Despite its use in several very dangerous and illegal potions, the plant was technically legal. Probably because it was very rare and very difficult to cultivate outside of one particular island off the coast of Italy.

Mr. Marsham told Draco far more about his personal attachment to Gertrude than anything else, but Draco managed to read between the lines. He’d brought the plant home from a research trip to Italy a few years ago and while Mrs. Marsham had been convinced it would wither immediately and be a huge waste of gold, Mr. Marsham had managed to get it to flourish.

That was where the problems really began. Master herbalists and potions masters all over England heard about his success and wanted to get their hands on the viridi pretiosa. Some other less savory characters came knocking as well.

But of course Mr. Marsham loved Gertrude like a child, and no amount of money or threats could sway him. He wouldn’t sell and he wouldn’t provide any clippings.

Draco supposed that was a good thing at least. There would have been quite a lot of other problems to add on top if he’d been selling such a potentially dangerous plant on the black market. That was certainly not something Draco could deal with without getting a more senior auror on board.

“I always keep her in the same spot, in the window in my study,” Mr. Marsham said, eyes a little misty. “She likes the sunlight there. But when I came down this morning, she wasn’t there. Nothing out of place, just no Gertrude.”

Draco nodded, making a mental note to get Mr. Marsham to show him the room in question later. He had a few spells he could try to get clues about who had been there and where they’d gone. Hopefully one of them would have answers, since otherwise there were so many possible avenues for his investigation to take.

“And you’ve checked the rest of the house?” Draco said. He held up a hand to forestall the words he knew were coming. “I don’t mean to say I disbelieve you or anything, of course. But if you might have moved it and forgot or something…”

Mr. Marsham shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not! Gertrude doesn’t like to be moved.”

Draco ignored the sigh of exasperation that got from Mrs. Marsham and nodded. “I understand,” he replied, none of the annoyance he felt at the man leaking into his voice.

He waited a beat and finally turned his attention to Mrs. Marsham, who looked like she’d really rather not be there at all. Not that he blamed her for that. Her husband was odd at the very least, and from what Draco had seen so far, they didn’t seem to see eye to eye on Gertrude.

“And you, Mrs. Marsham?” he asked. She startled a little at his words, and he narrowed his eyes at the strange reaction. “You didn’t see or hear anything last night or this morning?”

“No, nothing,” she replied shortly.

Her voice seemed strained to his ears, but that didn’t mean much. They’d only just met, and this was a stressful situation. Still, he would keep an eye on her. He had a feeling there was more to her involvement than she was admitting.

“Alright, I think that’s all I need to ask about at the moment,” he said with a smile. “Could I take a look around the house? Especially the study where… Gertrude was last seen.”

⁂

Loriette put down the parchment with Draco’s report of the situation so far. If he’d been a more senior auror, she wouldn’t have required one after only a day on an ongoing investigation, but he wasn’t, so he had to wait while she read his report over. Hopefully she would simply ok a continuance.

If he was lucky, she wouldn’t assign someone else or pull in a more senior auror to take the reins while he was pushed to the back.

“The missing plant is quite concerning,” she mused. She looked off into the distance and Draco tried not to squirm as he waited for her to continue. “Unfortunately no one in the office at the moment has the kind of expertise required for that avenue of investigation. So we’ll need to bring someone in to consult.”

Draco nodded, a sick feeling of unease beginning to build in his stomach even though there was no reason for it. Yet. Maybe it was just that having to find a consultant for his first solo case felt a little like he’d failed just starting out. At least it wasn’t another auror.

“Of course,” he replied, trying to ignore the unhappy feeling. He was a professional. “I’ll look into finding someone right away.”

“No need, I have someone in mind.”

She riffled through one of the drawers in her desk for a moment before holding up a small square piece of parchment. He could make out a little drawing of some sort of plant, but not what the writing said.

“Neville Longbottom, Master Herbologist,” Loriette said, holding out the parchment. Draco took it, feeling suddenly numb. “This has the address for his shop. I’ll let him know you’re coming. We’ve used him to consult a few times before, so I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

“But-” Draco cut himself off at the stern look Loriette sent his way. She was fairly easy going as aurors went, but she was still head of the department and wasn’t someone to mess with. Or disagree with. “I’ll head right there, ma’am.”

Loriette nodded, the corner of her mouth turning up. “See that you do. Good luck, Malfoy, this case could be good for your career. It’s your chance to prove yourself.”

Draco gave a jerky nod at the reminder, because of course she was right, then turned on his heel to leave. He waited until he was back at his cubicle to let his feelings really take over his face. It wouldn’t have been appropriate to show how very unhappy about this whole situation he was in front of Loriette.

And he was really very unhappy. Having to see Neville Longbottom again… Well, he’d expected when he became an auror that there would be a lot of difficulties based on his family and the war, and he’d prepared himself for that. It wasn’t easy, but he’d gained at least a semblance of trust from his coworkers and he was good at his job.

What he wasn’t prepared for was to come face to face with one of his old classmates on a case. Especially Longbottom, who he hadn’t seen or even heard much about since after the war. The others — Potter and Granger and the Weasleys — were constantly in the news, even if Draco didn’t have to see or interact with them. But Longbottom had slid quietly into the background as soon as his moment of heroism was over. Just apparently not far enough into the background.

Draco sighed, shaking his head. He needed to stop thinking about this. The fact was that he’d been ordered to bring Longbottom in to consult on the case, so that was what he’d have to do whether he liked it or not.

Whatever complicated feelings or guilt he had about his and Longbottom’s interactions at Hogwarts were going to have to wait for later. Or never, if he had anything to say about it. Hopefully Longbottom wouldn’t push it.

He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be so lucky, though.


	2. Chapter 2

From the outside, standing on the pavement of an out of the way corner of Diagon Alley, Longbottom’s shop looked pretty much exactly the same as Draco wouldn’t have imagined if he’d been inclined to do so. It was small and unobtrusive, easy to look past if you weren’t specifically looking for it. Basically the same way Draco remembered Longbottom from school.

The inside, though, was something else entirely. Draco found himself gaping as soon as he walked in the door, a bell ringing cheerfully somewhere in the back.

The building obviously had an extension charm on it, stretching back far further than should have been possible in that part of Diagon Alley. Plants covered every surface, bright greens and dark browns interspersed with every color imaginable, some moving almost imperceptibly in some crossbreeze or of their own volition. Sunlight streamed down from overhead skylights despite the overcast day outside. The rich smell of damp earth suffused the warm, humid air.

It was impressive, Draco had to admit. Far more extensive than Draco had been expecting. Seemed like Longbottom had done well for himself after the war despite the lack of spotlight.

“Be with you in just a moment!” a voice called. Though it had been years since they’d seen or spoken to each other, Draco knew immediately it was Longbottom.

He thought he’d been ready for this, but hearing Longbottom’s voice suddenly made this whole thing feel _real_ in a way it hadn’t before. Draco found his heart beating faster, and he worked to keep his breath even.

A rustling sound came from off to the left, and Draco turned just in time to see Longbottom emerge from between two large Alihotsy trees. He looked… good. He’d obviously grown out of his childish awkwardness into broad shoulders and muscular arms. He was taller than Draco now and handsome in a way that had Draco’s heart beating faster all over again.

They stared at one another awkwardly for a long moment. Draco’s mouth felt dry and he wasn’t sure what to say or even what to call Longbottom. It had been a long time since they’d seen each other, and they’d never been friends, so it felt like this was a strange space of acquaintanceship that he wasn’t prepared to navigate.

“Auror Malfoy,” Longbottom said with a stilted nod. “Loriette told me to expect you. I’m happy to help with anything you need for your case.”

Draco tried to smile, but he was pretty sure it came out more like a grimace. “Thank you, Mr. Longbottom,” he replied, doing his best to sound more confident than he felt. “Is there somewhere we can go so we can talk?”

“Right this way,” Longbottom said, turning to guide the way toward the back.

Draco followed without a word. The plants they passed were truly impressive, so many that he knew from school to be rare or expensive, and even more that he’d never even heard of before. Longbottom guided them through a winding path, hands reaching out to lightly brush a leaf or a branch every once in a while. It was obvious he loved these plants a lot.

Draco found his attention drawn away from the plants, though, and to Longbottom himself. He looked in his element here, among the plants. He seemed to thrive in the presence of the green things, far more than he had ever seemed to thrive at Hogwarts. Maybe because he was never given a chance to.

Draco was pretty sure much of that was on his shoulders.

Despite that sense of unease, Draco couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of Longbottom. Even aside from the physical changes since Hogwarts, he’d grown a confidence that he’d never had back then. It made Draco’s stomach roll to remember the kind of person he’d been at school, the kinds of things he’d said and done for a cause he’d never really wanted to be a part of. But he had been a part of all of it, and he had to deal with that.

He wasn’t sure this was the best time to do so, not after he’d spent the past several years just trying to forget, but having Longbottom there so close made him feel strange. Maybe not bad strange, he wasn’t quite sure yet since they’d hardly spoken, but he certainly felt off balance. He probably just needed to try harder to focus on his job.

Still, Longbottom looked like an entirely different person now, and Draco had a fleeting thought that he’d really like to get to know this new Neville Longbottom.

They finally made it to an office at the far back of the building. It was glass walled and almost as full of plants as the rest of the place, but at least it had a desk and a couple of chairs. Longbottom took the seat behind the desk and Draco took the least comfortable looking one on the other side. The warm air was getting to him and he didn’t want to get too comfortable here.

“Well, to start off, Mr. Longbottom,” Draco said once he’d settled, back straight against the crimson plush seat. “What do you know about viridi pretiosa?”

Longbottom blinked, obviously surprised. “Not a whole lot, I’m afraid,” he said after a moment. “I’ve only seen it once when I was in Italy. It’s very rare and thus very expensive; too expensive for my shop even if it wasn’t dubiously legal.”

“I thought that might be the case,” Draco replied, trying not to feel disappointed. That Longbottom didn’t know more of course, not that he might not actually be needed for the case. “A specimen of it went missing from a house in London yesterday.”

“I had heard rumors of someone in England having a successful propagation,” Longbottom said slowly. “I wasn’t sure I believed it given the difficulties. But I suppose I’m not surprised it was stolen.”

Draco shrugged, giving a wry grin. “I’m not either, but the man who it belongs to sure was.”

Longbottom smiled back for a second and Draco felt his breath catch a little. The years had been kind to the other man, Draco had realized that as soon as he saw him. But even aside from that, Longbottom hadn’t smiled much at school. Hadn’t had much cause to, honestly. Longbottom’s smile, though, it made Draco wish that he’d seen it more those years before.

“What’s the owner's name? I might know him,” Longbottom said. He pulled out an expensive looking notebook, the leather cover a deep shade of green. “Though maybe not, since all I knew about the viridi pretiosa was rumors. I might know of him or someone who does.”

“His name is Grayson Marsham,” Draco replied. “And his wife Cleo. They don’t seem to be particularly involved in anything herbological except this.”

“Hmm.”

Draco watched as Longbottom flipped through the notebook for a few minutes. He wondered exactly what was in there since he couldn’t make out the handwriting from the angle he was at. Contacts likely, but there was a lot more in there.

“I don’t have any notes about him,” Longbottom finally said, distracting Draco from his musings. “I take detailed notes of all my business discussions, so I’d have written it down. But I do know of someone who deals in much more… specialized plants than I do.”

That certainly sounded like a good lead. And far more than he had to go on thus far. It looked like he and Longbottom would be sticking together on this for a while longer.

“Wonderful,” Draco replied. He stood, raising an eyebrow expectantly. “You can make an introduction?”


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Stanton’s shop was far more difficult to get to than Draco had expected. If Longbottom hadn’t already known where it was from previous experience, Draco wasn’t sure he would have been able to find it at all. It was like Mr. Stanton didn’t want anyone to come to his shop at all or something.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Draco asked, looking at the almost completely vine covered old building.

It looked small from the outside, and not at all a place for a rare collection of plants. But like Longbottom’s shop, it probably looked far different on the inside. Hopefully. Draco wasn’t looking forward to having the building collapse on his head like it looked like it might at any moment.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Longbottom replied, rolling his eyes. “He’s… a bit of an odd man.”

Longbottom had described Filben Gloste Stanton as a paranoid little man who enjoyed the company of plants far more than people and had a penchant for the magical black market. He said it in somewhat nicer words, but that was the image Draco got from them. So far there hadn’t been anything to dissuade him of it.

Draco laughed. “That, I have gathered.”

Longbottom opened a door that Draco hadn’t seen just a moment before, and they stepped into the shop. It was somehow exactly like Draco had been expecting and nothing like it at the same time. It figured.

The building inside was bigger than Longbottom’s shop, but somehow even more crowded. The windows overhead looked like they could use a good cleaning, leaving the whole place bathed in somewhat grey, muted light. The plants themselves were different too, though Draco didn’t know enough about them to say exactly why or how.

“Hello!” Longbottom called, since there was no bell to indicate that anyone had entered.

They stood just inside the door for long enough that any good shopkeeper would have greeted them by now. Draco began to wonder if Mr. Stanton was even in, or if perhaps he was ignoring them in hopes that they’d go away. The latter seemed more likely.

Longbottom gave a huff, and Draco turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. 

“Sorry,” Longbottom said, the barest flush on his cheeks, like he hadn’t meant for Draco to hear. “It’s just that Mr. Stanton is not what I might call a paragon of entrepreneurial distinction.”

“I think that’s the nicest way I’ve ever heard anyone call someone an arse,” Draco said, a bit in awe.

“Well he is!” Longbottom replied, then snapped his mouth shut. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, he’s likely in the back, so we can find him there. Just avoid the Venomous Tentacula to the left there. He likes to use them as a deterrent for trespassers.”

Draco’s eyes widened, and he found himself gulping a little. Those were dangerous plants, that at least he knew. Barely legal, and extremely dangerous. It looked like they were perhaps on the right path for the investigation after all.

“Come on, I won’t let them get you,” Longbottom teased.

Draco rolled his eyes good naturedly. “I thought protection was more my job, Mr. Longbottom.”

“I suppose it is. But please, call me Neville already,” Longbottom — Neville — replied easily. A little surprising considering their history. “We’ve known each other long enough by now, I think. And I’ve never really liked the strict professionalism.”

“Then call me Draco.”

Draco felt a little flutter in his gut at the smile Neville was giving him. He pushed it aside to deal with later. Or never, that sounded good. Or at least good for his suddenly struggling professionalism. Merlin’s beard, he needed to get himself together.

“You want to lead the way?” Draco asked, trying to keep his voice even. He gestured out to the back of the shop, somewhere out past all the dubiously safe plants.

“Oh, yes, of course.” Neville flushed a little, then turned and strode off.

Draco followed, purposefully keeping his eyes on the plants instead of Neville. Part of that was some apprehension about the Venomous Tentacula, but most of it was still just him trying to preserve his professionalism. It wasn’t fair Neville looked just as good from the back as the front, not that he’d admit either to anyone.

They made it through the jungle of plants without incident, though Draco did have to dodge a spiny tendril of something that tried to trip him. The back of the space was just as dark and vaguely dirty as the front. Draco found himself curling his lip a little as Neville rapped on the office door, reaching out a bit further than usual to avoid having to stand in a pile of dirt just in front of the door. Mr. Stanton obviously didn’t put much store in cleaning.

“What do you want?” called out a voice, dry and cracking sounding and very much annoyed.

Draco saw Neville roll his eyes and he bit back a smile. If he thought before that Neville didn’t particularly care for Mr. Stanton as a person, he couldn’t wait to see them actually interact.

“It’s Neville Longbottom, Mr. Stanton,” Neville replied. “I’ve got someone I’d like to introduce you to.”

There was a long moment of silence before Draco heard some shuffling. The door opened and out stepped Mr. Stanton. He was scruffy, with a look on his face like he hated the world, and just as dirty as his shop would suggest. No wonder Neville didn’t like him.

“Mr. Stanton, good to see you again,” Neville said with a smile that, if Draco hadn’t seen Neville smiling earlier, he might have said was genuine. “May I present Auror Malfoy? He’s investigating the disappearance of a rather rare plant.”

Mr. Stanton grunted and leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed. “What’s that got to do with me?”

“Mr. Longbottom thought I could use your expertise as a purveyor of rare plants,” Draco replied, giving his own very fake smile. That was one of the most valuable things he’d learned growing up, those faux pleasantries.

It seemed to work on Mr. Stanton, who straightened a bit, a smirk growing on his face. People always did like to be sweet talked.

“Well I am the expert,” Mr. Stanton replied with a haughty glance over at Neville, who ignored it. “I guess you’re wanting to see if anyone’s come in to buy or sell one lately? What is it, anyway?”

“Viridi pretiosa.”

Mr. Stanton’s harsh, scratchy sounding laughter filled the room. Draco and Neville exchanged a glance, and Draco could see that the other man was as confused as he was. Which was sort of nice, but not exactly reassuring.

“Marsham finally got it stolen out from under his nose, then?” Mr. Stanton asked when he finally stopped laughing. He seemed far more amused than the situation warranted. “Told him it’d happen sooner or later, but he never would listen to me, would he?”

“You… told him this would happen?” Draco asked carefully. He’d considered Mr. Stanton a potential suspect from the start, and he certainly wasn’t doing much to dissuade that idea.

“Sure,” Mr. Stanton replied, like it was nothing. “Tried to buy it off of him more times than I can count, and I know a couple others did too. But he wouldn’t sell. Told him that someday someone was gonna get fed up and just take it, especially since he was always showing it off to anyone who came by.”

Draco nodded. “Would you happen to know who the other interested parties were?”

Mr. Stanton was only too happy to help, buoyed by Mr. Marsham’s misfortune as he was. Draco still considered the man a suspect, but he honestly didn’t think he was the one who did it. He was too willing to help and not shifty enough. At least about the viridi pretiosa.

Draco was reserving judgement about anything else.


	4. Chapter 4

List of possible suspects in hand, it was time to return to the Marsham residence. Draco hoped that Neville might have some insights there. He should at least be able to speak to Mr. Marsham a little better than Draco had been able to the day before.

Draco side along apparated Neville, ignoring what a nice opportunity it was to hold on to the other man and chalking it up to being a more efficient method of travelling there than having Neville come separately. Neville didn’t argue, so Draco figured his argument had merit. Or at least sounded like it did.

They appeared a block away from the house, in an alley that provided just enough cover from the muggles that inhabited the rest of the neighborhood. It was late afternoon, cool with just a light breeze, and Draco relished the short walk after Mr. Stanton’s stuffy shop.

“Do you smell something?” Neville asked. His nose wrinkled as he lifted his head, looking around. “Smoke?”

Draco took a deep breath. He could smell smoke, just a little, not enough that he thought he would have noticed if Neville hadn’t pointed it out. He started looking around too, trying to pinpoint the source.

“There it is!”

Neville was pointing just up the block to a small stream of smoke spiralling up into the air. It was right behind the Marsham house. From the back alley, most likely.

Draco took off at a run. He heard Neville behind him, but he didn’t have time to worry about him keeping up right now. There was no way that smoke — and the fire that certainly preceded it — was a coincidence. This had something to do with his case.

He levitated himself over the garden wall without slowing down, and didn’t even stumble a step when he came down. It was a trick he’d learned in auror training, something his instructor had assured him would be very useful in his career. This was the first time he’d had a chance to use it in the field, but he was certainly appreciative of the lesson at the moment.

The smoke was thicker as he approached the alley behind the house, not enough to be smothering, but far more potent smelling. That wasn’t what grabbed his attention, though. It was the robed figure standing silhouette in front of the small fire.

“Don’t move!” Draco shouted as he came to a stop a few meters away, wand at the ready.

He was vaguely aware of Neville coming up behind him. All of his attention, though, was on the figure turning to face them. The smoke stung at his eyes, making them water, but there was no mistaking who it was.

“What are you burning, Mrs. Marsham?” he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” Mrs. Marsham replied, voice rough from the smoke. “It’s over, you can just leave. Just leave.”

Draco would honestly like nothing more, but that wouldn’t be doing his job. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that until you tell me what you’re burning.”

Mrs. Marsham’s hands moved, and Draco braced himself for a fight, but she only used them to wipe away the tears on her face. The gesture smeared ash down her cheeks and suddenly she looked years and years older than she had when he’d spoken to her the day before.

“Fine. Fine.” Mrs. Marsham dropped her hands, shoulder slumped. Draco got the idea that she was giving up, not just on her little arson, but on everything that led to it. “I burned that stupid plant of his. It’s gone now.”

Draco nodded and carefully stepped forward, raising his wand to place a binding spell on her. Leather wrapped around her wrists, pulling them behind her back. She didn’t fight it, barely even seemed to notice it as she stared at him, eyes hard.

Neville came around, giving her a wide berth, and quickly put the fire out with a jet of water. Another wave of his wand had the smoke dissipating, leaving only a soggy mess of ash that could barely be recognized as the apparently fantastic specimen it had once been. Neville looked at it, mouth turned down, and shook his head.

“I’m not sorry about it,” Mrs. Marsham said mulishly. “I just wish I’d gotten rid of that ridiculous plant faster.”

Draco couldn’t blame her for her anger to be honest. He glanced at Neville, who had a pitying look on his face as he looked at her, and figured he felt the same. There were obviously a lot of things wrong in the Marshams’ lives for it to have come to this.

Perhaps whatever was decided by the courts would help sort that out. And sort out if there was even a crime here, or just a lover’s spat that spread far too much. Draco was just glad they weren’t his problem anymore.

⁂

“Good work on your first solo case, Malfoy,” Loriette said as she finished thumbing through his report. She set the scroll down on top of the closed cases cabinets and tapped it with her wand. It automatically filed itself away. “I’m impressed.”

He bit back a grin, trying to look professional even though he was pretty sure that was the nicest thing she’d said to him since he became an auror. One of the nicest things anyone with authority said to him ever, probably.

“Thank you, boss,” Draco replied with a little bow, aware that his cheeks were probably flaming.

Loriette flapped her hand, the tiniest of smiles pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Yes, yes, now go on. You’ve got the next two days off, so go have some fun while you’re young.”

Seeing as Draco didn’t really have any friends anymore and he wasn’t seeing anyone, that seemed unlikely. Though… Maybe that could change. This case, if anything, had shown him that things didn’t have to be so lonely for him. He’d enjoyed working with Neville, and he thought perhaps there might be the potential for something more between them.

He made his goodbyes and headed out of the office. It was late, but he hoped not late enough that Neville would have left his shop. He could always go tomorrow if not, but right now he felt like he was suddenly burning with the need to see the other man. He wanted to see him. Tonight.

Draco took the corner out of the office leading toward the lifts at a fast pace, then skidded to a halt. He blinked a few times just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things, then grinned.

“Neville?”

Nevill smiled back from half a meter away. “Hey, Draco.”

“What are you doing here?” Draco asked, taking an instinctual step forward. “Not that I mind, but…”

“I, uh, wanted to see you and I wasn’t sure when I’d get another chance,” Neville replied, a light flush settling over his cheeks. He looked so soft and sweet like that, and Draco wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them. “So here I am.”

“Here you are,” Draco repeated. His heart was beating hard in his chest, excitement and fear mixing together. It was time for him to be brave. And have some fun, hopefully. “Would you like to get some dinner with me? As a date?”

Neville froze for a second, eyes going wide, but Draco didn’t have time to rethink his words before Neville smiled again, wide and happy and real. Draco couldn’t help the answering smile that grew on his face.

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot,” Neville said softly.

“Good.”

They headed for the lift as one, both excited to leave the Ministry building and get on with their date. Draco couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have this chance after working so hard to be a different person than he’d been back at school. Apparently it had all been worth it.

Especially since it meant standing close together in a lift with Neville, smiles on their faces, fingers brushing together. The hand holding would come a little later. Draco was sure of it.


End file.
